“Designing drugs” sounds trendy, but it accurately describes how some remarkably effective drugs are developed. In this case study we’ll follow the steps of drug design, from initial research on the targeted disease, to the drug’s use in humans. Gleevec (STI-571) is our example.

We’ll see how drug design exploits the structure of a protein that causes a disease. We’ll consider the qualities of an effective drug, like high specificity, low toxicity, and ease of delivery. Animations will show how translocation creates the oncogene that causes chronic myelogenous leukemia, and how Gleevec inhibits the enzyme encoded by the oncogene.